


In the Wolf's Shadow

by orphan_account



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dalish Elves, Elves, Eventual Smut, F/M, Falling In Love, Fantasy, First Love, Fun, Lavellan Backstory, Love, Magic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pre-Dragon Age: Inquisition, Romance, Voice Kink, kiss, solas and lavellan meet before da:i, solas is smooth af, story goes on during da:i events
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-20
Updated: 2017-09-15
Packaged: 2018-11-16 12:13:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,224
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11252958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: The world is blurry to her. The tales of the Elders are smudged ink on the page of history and knowledge.When necessity arises, soft hearts turn to stone. That's Firiel's journey and her heart's.





	1. The First

In the depths of the Vimmark Mountains, a unique clan of elves roamed the area.  
Clan Lavellan was a mysterious faction. They were hunters, healers and all that the Dalish usually represented but they also had a particular interest in information.  
  
What they gathered wasn’t reserved to ancient elven lore. It involved political movements in the region and important world affairs. It was an unusual concern for the stereotypically uninterested and hostile Dalish.  
  
The Keeper of the clan was a strong willed woman, one that fought many times to protect the clan and their independence. The memory of the Dales was a constant wound that fueled her determination but didn’t cloud her judgement, at least not entirely.  
  
“It is our duty to hunt for the forgotten past,” she slammed her staff on the ground and interrupted an ardent discussion about the humans that arose from the hunters, glaring them into silence,  
“it’s not our role to avenge what was lost.”  
  
Her First, Firiel, stood at her side, proud of the authority and wisdom in those words.  
“Brothers, let Mythal guide your thoughts and actions,” she spoke, as she was encouraged to do by the Keeper, “don’t be blinded by the past and focus on rebuilding rather than bringing more destruction, that’s no way to go forward.”  
  
In reality, Firiel didn’t feel a strong connection to the Elven gods, at least not in the manner that the Keeper did. She was curious about the past and, most of all, about the magic that the Elves did not remember any longer.  
She wondered about their spells, how magic was felt and practised during those times.  
  
The Keeper smiled. The in-fighting died down immediately; it wasn’t an unusual occurrence, especially during more difficult times.  
  
Word of the destruction in Kirkwall reached them. The Qunari aggression, the explosion of the Chantry and the war between templars and mages were alarming news.  
An air of hostility and fear was making its way into the clan.  
  
“Firiel, we have to discuss something important,” the Keeper lifted the curtain of her tent and entered, followed by the visibly troubled young woman.  
The elder kept silent for a moment, frowning with her eyes set on the ground.  
  
“Is this about the discussion with the hunters?” Firiel tilted her head on one side.  
Keeper Deshanna gently took Firiel’s hands in her own, kissed them as a mother would, “My child, this situation is more unpredictable than we expected. I sense that something horribly grave will occur soon.”  
  
“Keeper… Kirkwall was a bad omen, indeed.”  
“I will be honest with you: I need someone to be present at the Conclave, someone to spy on it and you’re best suited. I will not force you into this, Da’len*, but consider it carefully,” Deshanna smiled even as she noticed Firiel’s preoccupied expression.  
  
“I need to reflect, Keeper. Venturing away from the clan is something I never seriously considered,” she nervously adjusted her tarnished robe.  
  
“I understand. The meeting will take place in three weeks so I hope you will make a decision as soon as possible but for now, you’re free to go to the woods”, she caressed Firiel’s cheek to reassure her, “it will help you think, Da’len.”  
  
Firiel was treading lazily under the comforting trees, leaning on her staff as the forest got thicker.  
Her clouded mind couldn’t form a coherent thought regarding what the Keeper requested so she decided to visit her favourite place, a flourishing cave that was kept secret from the others in the clan.  
  
The cave seemed like another world in her eyes.  
A gentle waterfall was caressing the rocks as if tired of rushing like her sisters outside of her rocky home; the quiet river that formed from the colourful lake that was born from the cascade was almost unwillingly making its way outside the cavern.  
  
Firiel let a sigh leave her body, comforted by the beautiful sight.  
She tended to wounded animals in her cove, in part because she cared for the creatures of the woods but also because she wanted to improve her healing magic.  
  
That day, she noticed that a wounded wolf and her pup had taken refuge, hidden behind a bush that was growing next to the water.  
She knew few things about the nature of wolves; they were intelligent creatures and loyal to those who gained their trust. The Dalish would be reminded of the Dread Wolf in their presence, of the treacherous Elven god, but Firiel didn’t approve of that.  
  
“Bunch of hogwash,” she murmured to herself thinking of what her clan would’ve said.  
  
The wolves took notice of her voice; immediately, the mother assumed a protective stance, covering the pup with her body and showing her teeth.  
Firiel moved closer without thinking and the wolf attempted to jump in front of her pup. The animal was barely standing, the pain in the back leg was caused by a deep wound.  
  
“Err, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!” the Elf stepped back slowly, her heart almost jumping out of her chest.  
She didn’t know how to approach the creature without causing distress, as it was the first time she encountered one that needed healing in the cave.  
  
“I just want to help you,” she tried speaking in a soft manner, hoping that the wolf would at least understand her tone, even if shaky.  
  
All of a sudden, the wolf stopped growling and was looking past her.  
“Oh, you understood me? I… I can help, I can heal you,” Firiel thought that she had gotten through with her voice.  
  
“I think she saw me, little lady.”  
“Uwah!” she jumped at the sound of the unknown voice behind her, “Who are you? You scared me!” she put a hand on her chest, breathing out.  
  
A tall hooded Elf chuckled at her reaction; he slowly walked towards the wolves and whispered something she couldn’t quite hear and the mother finally lied down again.  
“My name is Solas, I see that you had good intentions. I think she will let you approach now if you plan on helping her,” his voice was warm and reassuring.  
  
“Andaran atish’an*, Solas. I’m Firiel,” she felt relieved that the stranger seemed like a decent sort and, most of all, that the wolf was calm.  
  
She cautiously walked towards the animal while Solas observed her every move, probably ready to stop her if the situation required it.  
She managed to kneel next to Solas, a few steps away from the wolf’s attentive stare.  
  
She slowly lifted her hands and placed them just above the animal’s wound, a white light emanated as she closed her eyes and recited an ancient spell she had recently discovered on her own.  
“Ma serannas, fen mamae*” she whispered with a smile after the spell was completed - the wound was visibly closing and the blood was drying. The pup started rolling in front of the mother, happy about her recovery.  
  
“That was very well done, Da’len. Where did you learn that spell?” the mysterious Elf slid his hood down, showing a curious smile on his sharp face.  
“I don’t think I can share that, Hahren*. I don’t even know which clan you’re from but you... don’t have any Vallaslin*, why is that?” Firiel observed every corner of the stranger’s lines.  
  
His hair was unusually long and tied behind his head, the sides shaved and the strands were braided in a strange manner. He seemed mysterious.  
  
“The Vallaslin is a horrible abuse the Elven people have accepted,” bitterness bled through his words, his eyes weren’t as gentle as they were the moment before, “I will not be stained and you shouldn’t be either, Da’len”.  
  
He looked at her with a pained expression, following the lines on Firiel’s cheeks. Mythal’s Vallaslin embraced them with thin coloured branches.  
“This is the first time I hear someone claim such a thing,” Firiel considered his words, the past was a blur in the heart of the People. She was also skeptical about the “rules” and the traditions that were pushed on all the young elves that lived among the Dalish.  
  
“I don’t know how to respond to that, so much was lost…”  
He kept silent.  
  
“Hahren, you are lucky that I’m the one that heard those words. I suggest that you do not share your thoughts with others of our kind, especially if Dalish,” she had a lot on her mind already, dealing with another disaster was the last thing she wanted.  
  
“Is sharing knowledge such a harmful thing?” he gestured in irritation.  
“It is when the receiving end of such “knowledge”, as you call it, isn’t ready to confront it,” Firiel raised her voice.  
“Then the People have truly grown weak,” he spat those words almost in disgust.  
  
Her hand moved on its own leaving a red print on Solas’ cheek.  
That response surprised them both, “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to harm you! I was just very hurt by your words…” she stuttered and stepped back, as if afraid of his retaliation.  
The Elf didn’t look at her, shook by the gesture.  
  
After some moments of silence, he sighed and covered his cheek.  
“I accept your apology,” his eyes were on the ground, “I’m also sorry for my words, they were ill spoken. I should have talked without being so rash”.  
  
She felt relieved; she gently placed her hand on his to show that she wanted to heal him.  
He calmly looked at her embarrassed face, her remorse was transpiring from the way her eyebrows knitted and her hand hesitated.  
  
As soon as he removed his hand, a warm energy washed over him reducing the pain and calming his nerves. “I hope you can forgive me,” Firiel took her staff from the ground, turning to leave feeling that she had done enough for that day.  
  
He suddenly grabbed her arm, “Can I see you again?” he muttered.  
Her cheeks gained a more colourful tone, “I… think so, I come here often… for the uh, animals,” she felt strange about the situation but she wanted to meet him again.  
  
A smile painted his lips. It made Firiel even more flustered, “What a strange one…” she thought.  
He let her go but she could’ve sworn that she saw him laugh by himself as she walked away.  
  
When she returned to camp, the Keeper was waiting for her.  
“Da’len, it seems as if the branches on your cheeks have bloomed into roses!” she laughed, “Did you run, my dear?” Firiel’s red cheeks didn’t go unnoticed.  
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” she decided that telling her about the stranger was a bad idea, “I’m going to… to sleep now, yes.”  
  
Deshanna assumed that one of the Hunters had proposed to her in the woods.  
“Ah, youth,” she thought as she walked to her tent, smiling to herself.  
  
That night, a dream caught Firiel’s mind.  
She was sitting under a large tree, its leaves falling on her but never truly disappearing from the tree itself. Dark wolves born from ashes approached her, menacing.  
Behind them was Solas.  
  
She was still sitting under the tree, as if frozen. He was close to her, time skipped. The wolves were gone. He caressed her hair, black as ink, wrapped around his pale fingers.  
His lips brushed the strands, almost teasingly. A promise to meet again. 

* Translations - taken from Wiki: 

Andaran Atish'an = literally, "I dwell in this place of peace" - a formal elven greeting;   
Ma serannas, fen mamae = (I tried to translate) "Thank you, wolf mother";   
Hahren = Elder, used as a term of respect by the Dalish;  
Da'len = little child, or little one;   
Vallaslin = blood writing, the art of tattooing adopted by some elves to more prominently (and some might say belligerently) display their worship of the traditional elven pantheon.


	2. Good bye

The next morning, a thin but insistent rain was pouring on the tents, pinching the logs that burned the night before. 

Firiel was lying on a soft bed of leaves, covered with a mantle. The smell of rain and herbs filled her lungs. The dream bothered her but the decision about the Conclave felt like a heavier burden.

As she was tying a fine rope around her robe, a growing noise reached her pointy ears. Firiel finished dressing as quickly as she could. 

As soon as she stepped outside, she saw a crowd of Hunters surrounding a figure she couldn’t make out from that distance. Deshanna was in front of the hooded stranger, her staff in one hand and her shoulders tense. Firiel rushed towards her, slipping through the Hunters.  
A bad feeling invaded her.

It was Solas, his eyes were fixated on the Keeper. He was standing proudly without flinching even with the Hunters’ weapons pointed at him.  
Her worried expression caught his eyes for a second, but he continued staring Deshanna down. 

When Firiel reached them, silence and hostility filled the air.  
“Go. Leave,” Deshanna gripped her staff, trying to control the rage in her voice, “Fen’Harel ma ghilana.” 

“Solas!” escaped Firiel’s lips. The clan turned towards her in surprise.  
He smiled, his eyes filled with apprehension, “I don’t know who that is, little lady,” he glared one last time at the Keeper before disappearing into the woods behind him.  
The Hunters returned to their positions, whispering among themselves.

“Keeper, what happened?”  
“Have you met this man before, Da’len?”  
“Uh…” Firiel blushed slightly, “no, I didn’t”, she lied.  
“Don’t lie to me.”  
“Keeper, this is going to sound embarrassing but I met someone named Solas in my dreams,” she scratched her head nervously, trying to make up a story that could sound convincing, “I thought he looked similar to the stranger but it was a mistake and I just recently woke up.”  
Deshanna wasn’t entirely persuaded, “I will try to believe you but stay away from the woods, this stranger brings evil with his poisonous words.”

The day resumed normally, even as uneasiness lingered.  
Firiel managed to talk to the Keeper about the Conclave and about her decision to leave. A long conversation followed, with details about the area, who to expect there and where to go. 

The girl helped in the camp, healed the wounds of inexperienced hunters and lectured them. The evening was getting closer and the day of the departure was nearing.  
She would miss the clan and her forest, her thoughts wandered and Solas appeared in them more often than she liked to admit. 

Preparations were complete, her robed armour was ready for the dangers of the road, she put a map in her pack together with healing potions and some meat the younger Hunters gave her.  
She talked to every single member of the clan that night, sharing old stories and warming up to the crackling fire. 

The Keeper held back for a time but in the end, she cried fearing for one of her dearest children and the words “Be careful” were exchanged more than Firiel could count. 

When everyone returned to their tents, Firiel tried to push away the worrisome thoughts about her mission but found herself thinking about the stranger, it made her restless.  
“Will I really leave without seeing Solas again? What did that dream even mean?”, she sighed involuntarily and realised she was standing, ready to sneak into the woods. 

“Argh… What am I doing?” she quickly grabbed her cloak and staff, “I’m sneaking out, against the Keeper and to see a weird man, if he’ll even be there… I must be going insane, yes, for sure” she kept repeating that in her head, thinking it would convince her to change her mind. 

She knew someone had to guard the camp, she took light steps to avoid detection slipping through the shadows, using the tents as her cover whenever a Hunter would pass.  
Finally, she managed to reach the edge of the camp, shaped by small bushes that grew into the forest. 

It was entirely different from her daily trips. Darkness and quiet reigned.  
She could only hear the hooting sound of owls paired with the occasional rustling of leaves caused by small animals in contrast with the enthusiastic chirping that filled the mornings. 

Her steps sounded louder than ever in the calm of the night, she almost considered that they could be heard from camp.  
She made a small orb of light and made it float around the tip of her staff to illuminate the path before her, without being too glaring. 

She reached the cave without any inconveniences, except tripping on a sneaky root that made its way to her foot and scaring a family of mice with the fall.  
The entrance was darker than the woods, there was no moon inside after all. She increased the orb’s power and entered. 

“Solas…?” she hesitantly looked around, “Are you here?” she took some steps towards the rock that was used as hiding spot by the wolves the day before, hoping that he’d be there but it was empty. 

“What was I expecting?” she thought to herself, “I should just leave,” she continued, this time out loud.  
“Don’t.”  
She quickly turned, her heart thumping again, “Solas! You’re here.”  
Her light showed his lines differently, he looked older even as he was smiling at her. 

“Why did you come looking for me after what happened with your Keeper?” he turned off her light with a gesture, “This will attract too much attention, Da’len, we’re not entirely alone in the forest.”  
“What do you mean? Who’s here?” she didn’t feel comfortable in the dark, or safe for that matter, and it was clear from the slight crack in her voice. 

“Don’t worry about it,” he moved closer and his hand reached out to hold hers, “I’m here, don’t get lost or trip again,” he chuckled, trying to provoke her.  
“Again…?” she blushed at his touch, even if she knew he did it only to reassure her of his presence.  
“Oh, I was walking on my own when I heard this _**really loud**_ sound of someone falling,” he laughed, “so I decided to see who it was and I followed you here.” 

She let go of his hand, “Wow, you’re really something!” she was so embarrassed she was now grateful that they were in complete darkness.  
“Still, you didn’t answer my question. Why are you here after what happened?”  
“Well, I thought we were supposed to meet again, am I wrong?”  
“No, you’re not,” he paused thoughtful.  
“Why did **you** follow me here then?”  
“I… wanted to see you” she felt his eyes on her, even if it didn’t seem possible in the obscurity of the cave. Everything was so silent, it made her even more nervous. 

“Solas,” she suddenly remembered her dream, “did you visit me in my dreams?” she blurted out all of a sudden, forgetting about the tension.  
“Are you… seducing me, little lady?”  
“Wh- No! Of course not, I would never-” she was cut off, his hand covered her mouth to silence her.  
“ _You’re too loud, Firiel_ ” he whispered, sending shivers down her spine.  
She grabbed his hand trying to remove it but failing, “ _Someone is coming so be quiet for a moment._ ” 

Quick steps could be heard outside, the crackling leaves gave them away. A small group of people was gathering next to the river that came from the cave. They didn’t seem interested in entering the cove, oddly enough.

“ _Mm!_ ” Firiel wanted to check what was happening but Solas was still holding her.  
“ _Just don’t do anything rash,_ ” he spoke softly as he lifted his hand from her.

She snuck towards the entrance of the cave.  
“ _Firiel, where are you going? Come back here_ ”  
“ _I just want to take a peek, don’t worry_ ”  
He carefully followed her and stood behind her, throwing an eye outside. 

Hunters from her clan were murmuring under a tall tree, a small fire lit in the centre of their group.  
“ _What are they doing away from the clan? This is very strange_ ” Firiel was surprised, she leaned a little bit more towards them to hear their conversation.

“ _I’m sure he went this way, the trail is fresh_ ” one of them pointed at some leaves on the ground, they had been moved by someone’s steps, they weren’t following the normal direction.  
“ _Maybe there’s a hiding spot somewhere, like a cave, there are a lot of bears in these parts_ ” the second elf looked around, squinting his eyes to see better.  
“ _I don’t want to deal with a bear… Why are we even here?_ ” another crouched in front of the fire, clearly uncomfortable with the entire plan. 

“ _He insulted our people, he has to pay for that and he seems dangerous, better get rid of him_ ”  
“ _You’re only doing that because your dear Firiel gave him attention, aren’t you?_ ”  
“ _N-nonsense! This is for the clan’s safety_ ”  
“ _Yes, but we’re going against the Keeper’s order to stay out of the woods_ ”  
“ _Shut up, both of you! I think I heard something_ ” 

Firiel had accidentally kicked a small stone and quickly stepped back to hide, leaning on Solas’ chest. He shook his head, “ _What did I tell you…? You’re really…_ ” he didn’t finish the sentence and put his hands on her arms, moving her further back with him as if she was a doll.

She nervously allowed him to move her, feeling anxious about being discovered and because of the closeness between them.  
The Hunters’ murmuring ceased, they were taking careful steps towards the cave and Firiel felt like her heart’s pounding could be overheard. 

“They’re going to find us” she thought, trying not to panic.  
She moved her hand to recall her staff, it fluctuated slowly as she wished, without attracting attention thanks to the deep darkness in the cavern.  
Solas grabbed it before she could, placing a hand on her shoulder, signaling that he’d deal with the situation.  
He whispered something she couldn’t understand. 

A serpent of red light slithered inside the lake of the cave, the Hunters immediately pointed their weapons towards it, not realising what it was.  
It grew larger as it moved towards the surface and as it emerged, it took the shape of an enormous wolf with bright eyes and fur made of flames. 

The Hunters turned white as sheets, the weapons shaking in their hands. They ran as fast as they could screaming in hopes that the Wolf wouldn’t follow them if they warned the entire forest of its presence. 

“Woah, you must teach me that,” Firiel burst out laughing, forgetting about her fear, “That’s incredible, he’s… beautiful,” she continued while observing the huge creature.  
“He thanks you for the compliment,” Solas handed the staff back to Firiel and with a gesture, he dissolved the spell. 

“Now this was interesting, I should talk to them properly before leaving tomorrow,” Firiel made some light inside, taking some moments to adjust.  
“You’re… leaving? Where?” Solas crossed his arms, the surprise in his tone was clear.  
“I have a mission I can’t tell you about,” she suddenly felt the heavy burden sinking, “I will return soon, I hope. Let’s meet again when I do.”  
He remained silent, he seemed doubtful, as if he was fighting inside himself.  
“I have… a mission of my own that I can’t share,” he finally spoke, “You’re not the only one with secrets, little lady. I hope we will meet very soon.” 

He caressed her cheek and chuckled at her frowning face, “You’re lovely, Firiel,” he leaned closer and as her cheeks grew warmer, he placed his forehead on hers, tickling her with his hair.  
She couldn’t speak, it was the first time she felt so strange towards someone. 

His lips were so close, her head started spinning at the thought of kissing them and she couldn’t even believe she was thinking about him in that way.  
“Good luck on your quest and... be safe,” he softly moved her dark hair behind her ear, enjoying her shiny eyes and the look of innocence she showed. 

He was teasing her, she noticed that as his lips formed a smirk.  
“Oh, really...” she pulled him down, grabbing his hair and standing on her toes. She kissed him, her heart almost jumping out of her chest. His shocked expression was priceless. 

“There, now I have a good luck charm,” she faked confidence, which didn’t match her feelings in the least. She remained there for a moment, looking for a response from the man but all he did was observe her in silence, with a planning look. 

“Well, I… should go now,” she blabbered without meeting his eyes, shame in hers, “take care, Solas.” 

He held her chin up, observing her features. She tried to hold his stare but all it did was make her appear like a child that had misbehaved and was trying to stand up for herself.  
Solas finally smirked, “You really are a child but,” he gently kissed her lips, almost too lightly, “I wanted to do that too.” 

“We will meet again, I promise, Firiel,” he let her go, enjoying every face she showed, he thought she was too expressive for her own good, full of openings. 

After that, they talked briefly and parted, both sharing the feeling that they would lose each other.  
Solas disappeared into the night as Firiel walked back to camp, her heart pounding with a newborn feeling. 

She sneaked into her tent, knowing that the Keeper probably knew about her adventure into the woods but she was sure that she’d forgive her, knowing that the day after she’d depart.


	3. Destiny

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahh, it's been way too long. I had lost interest for a brief time and was also gathering ideas.  
> Hopefully I won't delay this fic for long. Thanks for anyone that read. <3  
> I'll update as soon as I finish the next chapter too. ^^

She thought she’d return soon but all changed with the Conclave. 

Her mind bleached of memories, glistening swords pointed at her in a dark room as a scarred woman entered. 

“Ah!” a spark from her hand’s unknown mark crushed her nerves. Fear, pain and a burning desire to escape with all her strength resonated in her as the woman confronted her. 

Everyone had died, except her. That knowledge left only emptiness, she was not attached to those that perished but meaningless death always stung her. 

They walked together, fought demons coming from the sky’s wound and accepted that they’d have to work as allies to fight the Breach but then… Destiny knocked. 

He was holding her hand, closing a rift with it as if he had known everything already.  
“Uh…” missing words fell from her lips as he turned to face her, “It seems you hold the key to our salvation,” he reassured her, as he had done before. 

“Solas…?” her voice trembling after Cassandra presented him and the dwarf.  
“You know each other?” that connection would’ve been too suspicious considering they were both apostates during a crisis that seemed caused by magic. 

“Ah, no. I think she mistook me for someone else, I’m afraid,” Solas smiled, “Yes, I don’t have bald friends I’m afraid, I don’t know what I was thinking” she smiled back at him, getting a laugh from Varric. 

She couldn’t believe he was there, endless questions haunted her about the Breach, especially the air of ancient magic that had caused it. She knew it was old magic, her studies were unusual ones even among the Dalish so she had learned a thing or two. 

They finally walked to the Temple of Sacred Ashes where the smell of burning corpses almost suffocated her. She felt an incredible amount of magical pressure where the Breach dominated the sky and where the first rift had formed. 

She closed it and destroyed the Pride demon with the forces present at the Temple. After that fight, everything became blurry. 

\--

A warm hand held hers, he whispered words of healing as he sat beside her bed. The Anchor didn’t hurt her as before, it pulsed lightly but less and less as Solas lulled it. 

“Solas…” she was sleep-talking, calling him and mumbling things that couldn’t make sense to anyone else. He smirked softly as he caressed her hair, hoping she wouldn’t notice. 

She grabbed his hand as he was getting up to leave, “Stay! Please…” her eyes glistening in the dimmed room. He took her hand gently as if he didn’t want to break it by accident, “Foolish girl… how did you get involved in this?”. He sighed defeated. 

A tear slid on her cheek as her eyes lit up from frustration, “It’s not my fault! I was on a mission, for the clan… so many people died, why? Why are you here?” she directed her glare towards him. 

He avoided her gaze for a moment, “That’s not important,” he whispered as he wrapped his arms around her, stroking her hair and allowing her to vent her sorrow on him, “what matters now is that you are safe,” he held her face in his hands, “it’s going to get much more difficult from now on, Firiel.” 

“I’m ready,” she wiped the tears from her eyes, feeling a new power growing in her, “This is nothing.” She stood up and saw him with a pained expression on his face. She lightly slapped his arm and laughed, “Also you looked better with hair, old man.”

He looked offended for a second but then laughed, stroking her hair and nodding. “Yes yes, little girl. Now you should go, they’re waiting for you.” She took her staff and after quickly glancing at him, she left the room. 

\--

She reached the Chantry, accompanied by soldiers and citizens in awe because of her accomplishment with the Breach. She felt uncomfortable with so many humans surrounding her, she never had to deal with them before and it made her uneasy. 

A fuming cleric that she had briefly met before reaching the Temple was throwing accusations and orders in the room where she was supposed to meet Cassandra and a red-haired woman called Leliana. 

Firiel pitied him, he was clearly terrorised by the events and directed his panic towards everyone else because reality scared him too much, “Sir… Roderick, right?” she tried speaking to him and he shot a glare in her direction.

“It’s Chancellor Roderick, for you,” he spat, while Leliana and Cassandra observed curiously where the elf wanted to go with the conversation. 

“Well sir, I just wanted to tell you that I am seriously worried about your health,” Firiel didn’t think her sentence through, “I heard humans die from heart complications very easily when they get angry, especially if they are old!”. 

At those words, the Chancellor became furious demanding that she was taken to Orlais to face execution because of her crimes. Leliana laughed heartedly and Cassandra was just confused, she didn’t know whether to laugh or not. 

Firiel stared blankly at the older man, thinking that humans were very strange indeed and easily upset but her thoughts were interrupted by Cassandra’s announcement.  
The Inquisition of Old was to be reborn, something the elf had no idea about. 

Roderick scurried from the room, face bright red from anger and frustration. The scarred woman turned to Firiel, with a smile on her face, “We need you on our side,” she said almost proudly showing her hand. 

The girl knew of the handshake greeting the humans had and took her hand. She wanted to help, it was needed and she knew that she’d learn everything she could never learn in the past on this adventure. 

She would miss her clan but she knew that she had another destiny.


End file.
